Three US states plus Washington DC sue Google for using UI design 'dark patterns' to harvest your location The Attorneys General of Indiana, Texas, Washington state, and Washington DC on Monday each filed lawsuits against Google alleging that the search giant uses deceptive user interface designs known as "dark patterns" to obtain customer location data without adequate consent. "We're leading a bipartisan group of AGs from Texas, …
Try to disable Google Assistant on any recent Android phone. You'll spend an hour trying to figure it out, 30 minutes Googling, and another 5-10 minutes going down the long dark hallway of options, where if you screw it up, you're back at the beginning.
You want to enable Google Assistant? Accidentally hold down the home button for a second or swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
If that isn't a dark pattern, I don't know what is.
You want to connect to bluetooth? Enable location
You want to connect to WiFi? Enable location
Warning: Disabling location access may break applications and degrade your experience.
Suddenly seeing location has turned itself on for no apparent reason and no way to find out which app did so
The permissions that Google apps have by default and the scary warnings (or outright refusal) to revoke them.
Apps that are baked into the phone that you don't use or need and cannot stop.
Meh, gets depressing. Beer time.
I told Google maps it couldn't store everywhere I had ever been. In response it also it turned off being able to safe favourite locations (either globally or as preferred locally) so I could set favourites to drive to. Deep throat yourselves Google. Happily I am 10 months into my current phone and still have managed to never sign into Google.
I use osmand, because I always try to fart in google's general direction, and while I like some of osmand features, I feel their interface (or rather menus) are awfully un-user-friendly. But that's perhaps the price of de-googling, so I'm ok with that. Until a point it turns out they also collect my data, as usual, 'for the benefit of the user'. But then, I'm aware privacy is 'a cost', if it can't be sold off and turned into profit.
I use OsmAnd too. So nice of Google to make microSd access 10000x slower for this app with SAF "for security." I'm stuck on an old build that's still allowed to bypass it. Google even updated it once against my permission while I was on vacation and I had to recover from F-Droid.
Good for you. There are those of us that get lost in a long hallway. Which sucks. Before GPS, I just didn't go anywhere.
Yea I really like GPS/SATNAV - just not on my phone. This is why I purchased a dedicated unit (Garmin) that doesn't connect to anything except GPS satellites. It also came with free lifetime map updates. I still use Google Maps (not the app, in the phone's web browser) when I need to find points of interest. Location service etc. disabled which has boosted battery life and data usage significantly.
Long hallways? Luxury! I'm so lacking a sense of direction that I get lost in my own head.
*Shakes a palsied fist*
Danged whippersnapper anyer newfangled gee-pee-ess doohickeyz.
Get offn muh laaaawwwwwn!
=-)p
On a slightly more serious note, I can fully empathize & sympathize with such a tendancy to get lost easily.
Back when I could still see to do so, I always kept multiple maps in my car for use when I inevitably got lost & needed to find my way back to something resembling civilization.
I'd tried using one of those talking-sat-nav things, but it would invariably give up with a disgusted sigh & tell me "Fuck it, I have no idea where the hell we are -- pull over & ask someone if they can help?"
I know modern SmartPhones have built-in GPS & can run the navigation software to help you keep from getting lost, but what do you do if you get lost just trying to figure out the fekkin' phone itself? =-J
There are secrets to helping you tame Google, and I'm going to share some with you after discovering them myself. So take notes ;-)
A lot of Google data goes through 2 structures, Google Play Services (most people know this) and Google Services Framework (which most people don't, because the Framework is hidden in Apps by default). When you install third-party apps they default inheriting Google Play Services' permission set.
Note that disabling the Framework also kills many things (good for me, thank you very much), such as Maps' and many other program's location abilities.
So into Android App management and then hit the hamburger (3 dots) icon on the upper right. Then tap on "Show System Apps".
Turn off all permissions on Google Play Services, then go into Data in Google Play Services and set "Restrict Background Data" to "Always". That will help kill off some of the telemetry feed.
Go and disable all permissions in Google Services Framework, then terminate the process. Then disable it.
Disable Goggle Maps (which helps feed location).
If you want to run a program that asks for your location and you want to give it, remember to re-enable Google Services Framework for the duration of the program's usage (kill it again afterwards).
There are other things I've learned, but they'll... remain a bit secret for now :P
The device does not need to be rooted to run a custom ROM. Each time it is updated, it has to be rooted again.
Hasn't been a problem for me, though, and I use banking apps from three different banks. I use a custom rom with Micro-g. It's rooted with Magisk.
/e/ does seem to work hard to try to make apps work while delivering privacy. Many do work - including several which do not like my other Android-ish environments (Sailfish, LineageOS and Replicant - but nothing works on Replicant except stuff you write yourself, in my experience).
"...but banking and payment apps usually cry foul, if you do that."
Err, no they don't. Not in my experience anyway, obviously your's may differ. I have Lineage without Google Play Services or even MicroG apps and bank app happily works without complaint and even regularly updates itself.
If an app, even a banking one, insists on Using Google Services then there are other options. Yes it may involve some inconveinience, but until people start saying no to such things nothing will change.
This sounds similar to Microsoft tricking people into upgrading to Windows 10 by using the close window red X https://www.theregister.com/2016/06/29/microsoft_removes_updatebydismissal_win10_policy
You have to enable Location Services for Bluetooth because Google translates Bluetooth beacon GUIDs into physical locations. That's how Maps works without satellite GPS and it's why Google would prefer that you don't have a headphone jack. There's another one for WiFi location tracking but with a more deceptive description.
Not to go all whataboutery on this thread, but I get the same feeling about disabling Wifi/bluetooth on iPhone too. Since IOS 12 (or was it 11?) tapping the "disable wifi" or "disable BT" buttons in the quick access panel doesn't actually disable them (and their associated location-tracking powers) - just temporarily disconnects you from your current WWAN or devices. I strongly suspect that's done deliberately as a dark pattern, also.
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